Welcome to the DoD Natural Resources Webinar

Series

Rob Lovich, Chris Petersen, Kevin Porteck

Natural Resources Legacy Program: Project Number 13-642; report available at: http://www.dodnaturalresources.net/PARC-Resources.htm

Air Force HQ staff and installation natural resource managers

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

State Wildlife Agencies

Purpose: to review, update and analyze amphibian and reptile (herpetofauna) species lists of Air Force installations with Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMPs)

Need: no comprehensive inventory of the herpetofauna diversity had been conducted on Air Force properties; accurate and comprehensive biotic inventories are essential for effective management and conservation of natural resources

1. A preliminary list of reptile and amphibian species was developed using data from VertNet, National Amphibian Atlas and other data sources for each Air Force installation.

2. This preliminary species list was then sent to a state wildlife agency biologist/herpetologist or a regional expert to verify that the species on the list could potentially occur on the installation based upon the known species distribution within the state.

ChameleonMarbled Salamander

3. The species list was then compared to the existing installation INRMP species list (if available) and surveys or species inventories to identify those species that have been confirmed on the installation.

4. The pre-final list was sent to installation’s natural resource personnel for review and validation before becoming final.

Northern Cricket Frog Northern Two-lined Salamander

• Installation Detachment• State• Species type• Common Name• Citation for Presence• NatureServe Status• Non-Native

Data compiled into an Excel Spreadsheet Columns of data include:

• Installation Name• County• Scientific Name• Presences• Federal Status• State Status

Confirmed: when there is literature (site-specific survey, study) or other documentation (INRMP or personal observation) endorsing that the species occurs on the installation

Potential/Unconfirmed: when the installation property is within the natural or introduced range of that species and the species has been documented in the same county as a particular military installation, but a specimen has not been confirmed within the boundaries of the installation.

Data summarized for Air Force installations based on the categories below:

Confirmed and Potential Determination Federal Status State Status NatureServe SAR (G1-G3) Non-native Species Venomous Species

Three-bandedReef Gecko

Herpetofauna species lists were updated and analyzed for 80 Air Force installations (115 unique locations including installation detachments) located in 37 States.

Species TypeNumber of

Species Confirmed

Number of Species

Potential

Frogs and Toads 69 12

Salamanders 51 23

Lizards 74 27

Snakes 102 34

Turtles 37 10

Crocodiles/Alligators 3 0

Total 336 106

The herpetofauna species confirmed on the 80 Air Force installations evaluated represent 52 percent of the total native biodiversity of all herpetofauna species documented in the continental United States

Frogs/Toads

Salamanders

Lizards

Snakes

Turtles

Crocodilians

Frogs and Toads (21%)

Salamanders (15%)

Lizards (22%)

Snakes (30%)

Turtles (11%)

Crocodilians (1%)

Installation Name State No. of Confirmed Species

Avon Park Florida 70

Eglin AFB Florida 62

Arnold AFB Texas 61

JB Charleston (Weapons Station) South Carolina 59

Sheppard AFB Texas 57

Robbins AFB Georgia 57

Shaw AFB (Poinsett Range) South Carolina 56

Moody AFB Georgia 55

Homestead ARB Florida 53

Tinker AFB Oklahoma 45

Barksdale AFB Louisiana 45

6 federally endangered species confirmed on Air Force installations (four sea turtles; one frog [Dusky Gopher Frog]; one salamander [Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander]). Leatherback sea turtle is the most common endangered species and occurs on six installations

10 federally threatened species confirmed on Air Force installations (three turtles; two crocodilians; two frogs; one salamander; one lizard; one snake). American Alligator is the most common threatened species and occurs on fourteen installations

3 federal candidate species confirmed on Air Force installations (one turtle [Gopher Tortoise]; one frog [Columbia Spotted Frog]; one snake [Eastern Massasauga]). The Gopher Tortoise is the most common candidate species and occurs on eight Air Force installations.

Gopher TortoiseEastern Indigo SnakeAmerican Alligator

33 species of amphibians and reptiles are confirmed present on Air Force installations where they are listed as endangered or threatened (12 turtles; 9 snakes; 5 frogs/toads; 4 salamanders; 2 crocodilians; 1 lizard).

Cape Canaveral AFS has the greatest number of state-listed threatened and endangered herpetofauna species (8 species).

The Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi) and the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) are the most common state-listed species confirmed present on Air Force sites and are found on nine installations in Florida and Georgia

Timber RattlesnakeSouthern Hog-nosedSnake

Rainbow Snake

36 species/subspecies of amphibians and reptiles confirmed present on Air Force lands have a NatureServe status of G1-G3. (10 turtles; 9 snakes; 6frogs/toads; 5 salamanders; 5 lizards; 1 crocodile).

Eglin AFB has the greatest number of NatureServe species at risk (9 species).

G1/T1-Critially Imperiled species are: Atlantic Saltmarsh Watersnake (Cape Canaveral AFS) Dusky Gopher Frog (Arnold AFB) Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Cape Canaveral AFS, Eglin AFB, MacDill

AFB, Patrick AFB, Tyndall AFB) Texas Salamander (JB Antonio–Camp Bullis Training Annex)

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

26 confirmed non-native herpetofauna species have been documented on Air Force installations within the United States

The American Bullfrog, the Red-eared Slider, and the Mediterranean Gecko are the most common non-native species on Air Force installations

Homestead ARB (FL) has 21 confirmed non-native species on its property

Mediterranean Gecko Red-eared SliderAmerican Bullfrog

18 species of venomous snakes have been confirmed on Air Force installations within the U.S.: 2 species in the genus Agkistrodon(Copperhead and Cottonmouth), 2 species in the genus Micrurus(Coralsnake), 1 species in the genus Micruroides (Sonoran Coralsnakes), 11 species in the genus Crotalus, and 2 in the genus Sisturus(Rattlesnakes).

The Barry M. Goldwater Range of Luke AFB has the greatest number of confirmed venomous snakes (7 species) as compared to all Air Force installations. Moody AFB, Kirkland AFB, Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station Area, and Avon Park also have high venomous snake diversity.

Timber RattlesnakeEastern Diamond-backed

RattlesnakeCoral Snake

Both the Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) are confirmed present at more Air Force installations (11) than all other venomous snake species.

The venomous Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) lizard is confirmed present on three Air Force installations (Davis-Monthan AFB, Gila River Air Force Space Surveillance Station, and Luke AFB–Barry M. Goldwater Range).

Gila MonsterCopperhead Snake Cottonmouth

Air Force installations have more confirmed species (336) than both the Navy (265) and Marine Corps (177) based on the same type of analysis

Air Force installations support 442 species (336 confirmed species and 106 potential species) Avon Park AFR has the greatest number of confirmed herpetofauna species (70

species) Air Force lands support 52% of the total native biodiversity in the continental U.S.

Nineteen herpetofauna species listed as federally endangered, threatened, or candidate by the USFWS are confirmed present on Air Force installations Cape Canaveral AFS has the greatest number of federally-listed species (9 species) Turtle species represent the majority of the federally-listed species on Air Force

lands but only represent 11% of total herpetofauna biodiversity

Twenty-six non-native amphibian and reptile species are confirmed present on Air Force installations. Homestead ARB has the confirmed most non-native species

(21species)

Eighteen species of venomous snakes are confirmed on Air Force installations The Barry M. Goldwater Range of Luke AFB has the greatest number

of confirmed venomous snakes (7 species)

Herpetofauna biodiversity on Air Force installations is greater than that of both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

Maintain the herpetofauna species spreadsheet developed for this analysis up to date.

Conduct general herpetofauna surveys and monitoring every five to seven years to document the presence or absence of species and document general population trends.

Monitor and control for invasive herpetofauna species, particularly at Air Force installations in the southeast.

Those installations with venomous snakes, educate military and civilian personnel of the potential dangers of these species. Educational posters, pamphlets, and brochures are recommended.

American Alligator(Alligator mississippiensis)